"[U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Michael T. Flynn] criticized collectors as being too focused on tactical threats and failing to understand the broader demographic and political context of the battlefield, the Post said."

sounds like the general understands that most people want to talk about fighting and not actually engage in combat...sounds familiar

Agent 86 reporting to the Chief of the Defense Clandestine Service. Would you believe that North Korea has 1600 nuclear missiles aimed at the United States? Well, would you believe they have 500? 10? How about a rabid dachshund and a sling shot?

WHAT WE'RE ENDING UP WITH IS A SELF IMPORTANT, SELF-PERPETUATING CIA / DOD FRANKENSTEIN .......... TERRORIZING / DOMINATING / INTIMIDATING EVERY OTHER DEPARTMENT OF THE GOVERNMENT .............. LIKE THE ONE WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO THE COLLAPSE OF THE SOVIET UNION AND WILL BE THE US's DOWNFALL AS WELL. OUR GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN TURNED INTO THE DIRTIEST GOVERNMENT ON THE FACE OF THE EARTH - WITH EVERY ONE OF THE MAJOR PRINCIPALS MORE INTERESTED IN HOW THEY CAN TURN A BUCK ON EVERYTHING THEY'RE INVOLVED IN - RATHER THAN 'IS THIS GENUINELY NECESSARY, AND IN THE CRITICAL BEST INTEREST - OVER THE LONG TERM -FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. IN THE FINAL ANALYSIS - THE ANSWER WOULD BE NOT ONLY NO, BUT 'HELL NO !'. THERE IS A REASON OUR FOUNDING FATHERS PROVIDE THAT PEOPLE 'NOT IN THE BUSINESS' MAKE EXECUTIVE DECISIONS ON THINGS SUCH AS MILITARY ................ BECAUSE WHEN YOU ALLOW THE EMPLOYEES TO MAKE THE DECISIONS ........... THEY'RE MAKING DECISIONS WHICH EFFECT THEIR OWN (AND THEIR ASSOCIATES') CAREERS AND WALLETS ........... IT'S AKIN TO THE LUNATICS RUNNING THE ASYLUM ! WE'VE NOW GOT A GOVERNMENT FULL OF TOO MANY DEPARTMENTS WITH PRACTICALLY BOTTOMLESS BUDGETS WHO NEVER GET TOLD 'NO'. THE ONLY ONES TOLD NO ARE THE AMERICAN TAXPAYERS WHO ARE FORCED TO GIVE UP THE PROGRAMS AND SERVICES FOR THEMSELVES .............. AND FOOT THE BILL FOR ALL THE REST OR BE IMPRISONED. HELLLLLLLLLLLOOOOOOOOOOOO !!!!!

WE NOW HAVE A SITUATION WHERE SO MUCH IS SPENT ON SPYING / ESPIONAGE (INCLUDING ILLEGAL SPYING ON ALL AMERICAN CITIZENS) THAT THE AMOUNT IS KEPT A NATIONAL SECRET - AND THAT IS LIKELY BECAUSE IT IS A NATIONAL DISGRACE AND THE AMERICAN TAXPAYERS WOULD DEMAND THAT IT BE PUT AN END TO IMMEDIATELY.

Really, what kind of mindset do conspiricy theorists have to be in. I sometimes think it'd be fun just to play around in their head for a hour or so. Then I read something like this and realize I would probably not survive the experience.

As TFA points out, this is primarily a reorganization of the Defense Intelligence Service...not that that makes me feel any better. I've wondered what the DIA was all about ever since I stumbled upon their office in our local federal building. Is a small college/agricultural town in the interior Northwest a hotbed of HUMINT??

In this protracted struggle, good management dictates that we resist overspending as resolutely as we oppose under-spending. Every dollar uselessly spent on military mechanisms decreases our total strength and, therefore, our security.

And of course

very gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed. This world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children. This is not a way of life at all in any true sense.

Basically this is just another place to flush billions of dollars down the drain and into big campaign contributors pockets.

I'm glad they've set this up. I hope they streamline citizen reporting, because at this moment, it's nearly impossible to relay information to the current authorities. A few weeks ago, my neighbor criticized our president-to-be, Mr. Romney, saying that he didn't feel as though Mr. Romney had a grasp on domestic policy. I was shocked, to say the least, and I spent the good part of the afternoon trying to contact the authorities. They took down the information, but I waited up all night, peeping through the blinds, and they never came and arrested the heretic. We need a serious crackdown in this country. I'm glad for our future!

Really, what kind of mindset do conspiricy theorists have to be in. I sometimes think it'd be fun just to play around in their head for a hour or so. Then I read something like this and realize I would probably not survive the experience.

It's a cipher and your response is the key. Why didn't this update sooner? I think Drew is in on it man.

The new service will be funded within the Pentagon's existing budget and require no new manpower or new legal authorities, he said.

However, next year, the people who are now working at the Defense Clandestine Service will need additional personnel as they have uncovered serious problems that can only be resolved by adding new personnel. We used to call it Empire Building. A GS-14 get a new position. They immediately add a few GS-11 slots and maybe a few contractors. When they get to a certain number, they can spawn some GS-12/13 supervisory positions. These are usually their friends or alliances. With the mid level managers, the personnel additions continue. You need a SQL expert and a server specialist. Maybe a GIS analyst or two.

Worked as a contractor for the Army. The unit went from 80 to 130 in less than two years. Turned conference rooms in to cube farms and storage space in to offices. "It's easier to cut some of the fat when there's a lot of it if the time comes." said a GS-14.

Really, what kind of mindset do conspiricy theorists have to be in. I sometimes think it'd be fun just to play around in their head for a hour or so. Then I read something like this and realize I would probably not survive the experience.

And his vote counts JUST AS MUCH as yours does. Sleep tight.

I have a cousin that's one of these nutjobs. He has been ranting for a week that Obama's "people" have admitted the birth certificate is not a legal document. I asked him for a link so I could read up on it.

"YOU THINK THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA IS REPORTING THAT?!?!?!"

As much as I wanted to respond "No, because you just made it up", I just let it go.

The guy on the right who is out of step makes me laugh and doubt China's military abilities. It is, as Sun Tzu wrote: "A great army that can't march in step is like a toothless old tiger, unable to achieve or maintain an erection in spite the many bear gall bladders he's eaten. He can be easily beaten with grandma's old douche bag."

Harry Freakstorm:However, next year, the people who are now working at the Defense Clandestine Service will need additional personnel as they have uncovered serious problems that can only be resolved by adding new personnel. We used to call it Empire Building. A GS-14 get a new position. They immediately add a few GS-11 slots and maybe a few contractors. When they get to a certain number, they can spawn some GS-12/13 supervisory positions. These are usually their friends or alliances. With the mid level managers, the personnel additions continue. You need a SQL expert and a server specialist. Maybe a GIS analyst or two.

Worked as a contractor for the Army. The unit went from 80 to 130 in less than two years. Turned conference rooms in to cube farms and storage space in to offices. "It's easier to cut some of the fat when there's a lot of it if the time comes." said a GS-14.

There's nothing new here. They're just consolidating shiat DoD already does into one bureaucracy with a shiattier name. Happens all the time in DoD. Some dude is in charge of various, nebulous functions, so he consolidates them into a new entity, retires, and then gets hired as the civilian director to draw both retirement pay and a salary.

Harry Freakstorm:However, next year, the people who are now working at the Defense Clandestine Service will need additional personnel as they have uncovered serious problems that can only be resolved by adding new personnel.

Pretty much. Sounds like the DIA has realized that there is tons of money in the intelligence gig these days and is trying to puff up their empire.

As the article mentions, the DIA isn't new. The US has a ton of intelligence services. The CIA and NSA are by far the biggest and do most of the work. There's some smaller more specialty ones for example the NRO who mind after satellite intelligence. However then there are a bunch that can more or less be described as "Like the CIA, but smaller and for X department." The DIA is one of those. The State Department has their own, INR I think it is called. They are these little mini-intelligence agencies.

Typical bureaucratic BS. A group realizes "Oh hey we can and should gather intelligence in the course of what we do," however rather than go and try to have one of the existing intelligence agencies setup a subdivision or something, they make their own.

To me this looks like the DIA hopes they can start snarfing up some of that big "anti-terrorism" money and expand their operations.

McManus_brothers:Magorn: In other words they are saying that the CIA sucks at its job these days and so they're doing an end-run around them to get the intel they need. Par for the course in DC these days.

On another note why does this picture remind me so much of the "Klan marching scene" in O Brother Where Art Thou?[ph.cdn.photos.upi.com image 630x354]

Harry Freakstorm:The new service will be funded within the Pentagon's existing budget and require no new manpower or new legal authorities, he said.

However, next year, the people who are now working at the Defense Clandestine Service will need additional personnel as they have uncovered serious problems that can only be resolved by adding new personnel. We used to call it Empire Building. A GS-14 get a new position. They immediately add a few GS-11 slots and maybe a few contractors. When they get to a certain number, they can spawn some GS-12/13 supervisory positions. These are usually their friends or alliances. With the mid level managers, the personnel additions continue. You need a SQL expert and a server specialist. Maybe a GIS analyst or two.

Worked as a contractor for the Army. The unit went from 80 to 130 in less than two years. Turned conference rooms in to cube farms and storage space in to offices. "It's easier to cut some of the fat when there's a lot of it if the time comes." said a GS-14.

This reminds me of my tenure at AOL at the tail-end of their heyday. Right after the TW merger the stock went to shiat and growth came to a halt. Oh, but that didn't stop the company from having a re-org every 6-8 months. In 4 years I worked for two different departments, 4 different directors, and 6 different managers. I did pretty much the same job throughout this. The end product of the company was the same. What did change were the internal pyramids. In order for a Director to become a VP, he needed more bodies in his pyramid. He'd align himself with someone big who'd convince the board a re-org was in order and get those bodies, increasing his pyramid and boosting himself up. Bottom line for the company remained unchanged, product unchanged, stock unchanged, but his little piece got bigger and that kept him motivated.

Bureau of Intelligence and Research aka INR. But I think they only do analysis based off other people's intel, they don't collect their own. You can't very well have a diplomatic corp conducting illegal intelligence operations abroad - there has to a wall of some sort or another.

/INR was one of the few intelligence community members to vote against the Iraq war

Yet, in the meantime Wal-Mart continues to buy their products and the U.S. continues to do business like everything's okey dokey. It's like saying Cuba's bad but we'll still buy their rum and bananas. It's nuts. Why the hell can't we close the doors on these (China's) f*ckers and stop trading and buying their products, and forbid our companies from doing business their? You can do it with Cuba and Venezuela, but not China?

Yet, in the meantime Wal-Mart continues to buy their products and the U.S. continues to do business like everything's okey dokey. It's like saying Cuba's bad but we'll still buy their rum and bananas. It's nuts. Why the hell can't we close the doors on these (China's) f*ckers and stop trading and buying their products, and forbid our companies from doing business their? You can do it with Cuba and Venezuela, but not China?

Unoriginal_Username:Really, what kind of mindset do conspiricy theorists have to be in. I sometimes think it'd be fun just to play around in their head for a hour or so. Then I read something like this and realize I would probably not survive the experience.

BUT IT'S IN CAPS LOCK. YOU HAVE TO TYPE EVERYTHING IN CAPS LOCK TO PROVE THAT YOU'RE RIGHT